The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-08-18
49,. who was supposed to be perfectly

m. who was supposed TO be perfectly
secure The latter would seem 10 have re-
,ented the donkey's presence, for she got
angry, sprang against the side Of the cage so
Rercely that she went through, charged ON
the donkey and drove him out Of the house,
while the boy fed In mortal terror and gave
he alarm The lioness pursued the uen'-
bling donkey, who tbereupon got inad ana
fought with the instinct of self preservation
and the courage OF despair The honess
snrang upon him and clawed great flakes OF
flesh az his shoulders Like lightning the
donkey turned and kicked his assalant in the
ribs TIL they rang The house stood on
gentle slope Down the hill rolled the ami
mails. the ioneSs clawing, snarling and biting,
the donkey biting, striking with It's forefeet
and, whenever occasion allowed, kicking
with all its energy. At the bottom Of the
decliyity the donkey got fairly on its feet
and got in such effective kicks that
the homess drew off into the bushes
for repairs and the victorious donkey
went off IT search Of surgeon BY this time
dozen Of the garden employees had gathered
at the scene They thought they could drive
the escaped lioness back 10 her cage with
clubs and stones. But her blood was up. She
sprang upon them, bit two men in the leg in
precisely the same spot, and was shot dead IN
return The bitten men were not seriously
hurt. but the best medical skill failed 10 keep
the donkey alive longer than few days.
Ever since, until lately, the stuffed skin OF
the unpretentious but altogether surprising
donkey has held place Of honor IN the house
Of the Carnivora.
There is one romance connected with the
history of the garden which has never before
been in print in fact, only within a snort
time was il known 10 even the directors them
selves and dozen people kept 1t as re-
ligious secret for half rs many years Some
years ago one Of the head keepers who had as
sweetheart one Of the pretticst girls III the
neighborhO0d, bantered her 10 60 with him
into the cages Of the several animals IN the
Carnivora house For him it was nothing, be
was used to it, but be probably never dreamed
that She would accept But she did. She fol-
lowed him into the cage Of the magnificent
specimens Of Bengal tigers, and thence into
the home Of the hyenas and the leopards, the
panthers, the sun bears, the lions, and all the
fierce fellows in the collection, and not once
did she tremblc or show any sign OF fear.
Not one woman in ten million would have
done such feat, and none knew 1t bet
ter than the man who was with her.
Whether they had settled on 1t before,
or whether he then utterly lost bis heart TO
the woman who trusted so completely IN bis
ability 10 protect her from such dangers as
he led her through that day. nobody exactly
knows BIT the fact was they were married
soon afterwards, and the heroine Of that adj
venture is a handsome matron today, who
would scout the idea of repeating her dare
devil trick of few years ago, though her
husband still feeds the lions and tigers, and
yet goes into their cages without thought
OF being afraid-whenever If is necessary.
ARTHUR LAWSON.